Science

National Cancer Institute Now Needs Special Approval To Publish on Certain Topics

Annie Waldman, Lisa Song / ProPublica Mar 11, 2025 Vaccines. Fluoride. Autism. Communications involving these and 20 other “controversial” or “sensitive” topics will get extra scrutiny under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Health & Wellness

EPA Proposal Could Multiply Acephate In Tomatoes and Celery

Sharon Lerner / ProPublica Apr 29, 2024 The EPA is relying on industry-backed tests to relax regulations on acephate, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. Dig deeper ( 10 Min. Read )

Global Voices

Young, Autistic and Locked Away

Katharine Quarmby / Truthdig Dec 10, 2018 Despite promises of reform, Britain is institutionalizing growing numbers of young adults with autism and learning disabilities. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

This Prominent Anti-Vaxxer Has a Chilling New Crusade

David Armstrong / ProPublica Nov 27, 2018 Dr. David Ayoub is once again challenging mainstream science, this time as an expert witness for accused child abusers. Dig deeper ( 15 Min. Read )

Florida Investigated School Shooting Suspect After Self-Harm

JASON DEAREN, ALLEN BREED and TAMARA LUSH / The Associated Press Feb 17, 2018 He “has fresh cuts on both his arms. Mr. Cruz stated he plans to go out and buy a gun,” the child welfare agency abuse hotline was told in 2016. But he was deemed safe and "stable." Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Charity Calls Premature Autism Deaths a ‘Hidden Crisis’

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Mar 20, 2016 Certain groups among the autistic tend to die 30 years earlier than their peers in the general population, and a charity is calling on Britain's National Health Service to find out why. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The Story of Autism

By Ann Bauer Feb 12, 2016 From midcentury institutions where children deemed feebleminded were committed to live in dark corners covered with their own excrement, to the millennial vaccine mania that corrupted autism research and set health policy back years, a new book paints the story of autism in sweeping, cinematic bursts. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Scientists Create Monkeys With Autism Gene

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Jan 27, 2016 Researchers in China have engineered monkeys to develop symptoms associated with autism in the hope that scientists can find a treatment for the condition in humans. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Major Study Finds No Link Between Feared Vaccine and Autism

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Apr 22, 2015 A major study published in one of the world’s leading medical journals has concluded that there is no link between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination and autism in children. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Penn & Teller Use Bowling Pins to Show Why You Should Vaccinate Your Kids

Natasha Hakimi Zapata / Truthdig Feb 11, 2015 "Even if vaccination did cause autism, which it fucking doesn't," shouts Penn Jillette, the more verbal half of the entertainment duo Penn & Teller, "anti-vaccination would still be bullshit." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Vaccination Debate: Autism, Parental Choice and Public Health

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Feb 6, 2015 As the number of confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. rises above 100, "Democracy Now!" speaks to a doctor, a law professor, and a legal scholar who believes her child developed autism as a result of vaccination. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Autism Diagnosis May Be Temporary for Some

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Jan 19, 2013 A minority of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) -- conditions that are generally considered lifelong -- may carry the diagnosis only temporarily, researchers say. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )